I'm sorry to be the one to bear the bad news, but Parkinson's Disease is fatal to just over 7,000 persons in the U.S. each year. It is listed as cause of death on the death certificate too! About a year ago I sent statistics to the Net and John Cottingham will have them in the archives, otherwise, you may email me if you'd like a copy. And believe me, there are end stages of PD, just as any other disease. I have seen, first hand, problems which confront families who don't face these facts. IMOHO, if someone told me he thought my parent was in the end stages, I'd believe him!! As Ever, Marjorie Moorefield just another librarian with PD 65.9